I don't know enough about broadway musicals or christmas songs to have a clue so I'm staying out of this one.
But I have other things to weigh in on....
Regarding the prompt to discuss whether recognizing the tune in question counts as winning Name That Tune, I would like to point out that if we are saying it is NOT winning, then we have to strip our hosts of several of their wins on the podcast.
As for heating concert halls...why do orchestras not simply burn their violas? (S/O to episode 97)
With the hint given, I am extraordinarily tempted to just privately name the composer I believe it to be and forgo any analysis, especially since my analysis skills are threadbare. But how shall I improve without practice? The opening melody sounds very… vocal, in the sense that it could be easily sung, so I am tempted to say this is from a work that involves voices somehow. The “Broadway musical” part of the hint leads me to believe it’s for (American) stage, as do the rhythmic feel and the brass- and string-heavy orchestration. The contrapuntal section that follows does throw me a little, but I’m not too familiar with Golden Age and pre-Golden Age musicals; maybe they had more contrapuntal material for interstitials than modern musicals? My basket: Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern.
TOUGH ntt this week. I hear bits of Vaughan Williams-esque English country dance music, but also maybe hints of African-American spiritual harmony? From the music (and the clue) one must glean that this is 1920s-40s orchestral music.
But a composer who wrote *a* hit Broadway musical and a famous Christmas song? Irving Berlin? But he was just a tunesmith... From the music, I suppose I'd guess Victor Herbert. I guess I'll round out my basket with Harold Arlen, but that's sheerly from the clue; the music sounds nothing like his bluesyness.
The opening of this week's Name That Tune struck me as being almost Tschaikovskian, so with the hint, I'm thinking American by way of European training, etc. With the additional hint of the Christmas tune, the first composer that popped into my mind was Victor Herbert (Babes in Toyland was the closest I got to the holidays). Another name that I associate with that milieu but whose work I am fairly unfamiliar with would be Max Steiner, so I'll toss him in the mix as well.
He's best known for The Music Man, although I recall he wrote another musical or two (can't remember the names). And, he wrote It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.
So - American composer. Music Man was maybe late 1950's? Because the movie was probably early 60's with Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, and "Ronny" Howard.
And I still use Prof. Harold Hill's "Think System" to this very day ;) . (Although Will might suggest that practicing would be a better idea since we have a concert soon.)
***
Leroy Anderson is known for, among many other things, the Christmas classic Sleigh Ride. Also an American composer of a similar era. I know him for his connection with the Boston Pops. But I remember being surprised to learn years ago he had written a musical (don't know if it was on Broadway). No idea what it was, so I'd say it's probably not something for which he was known.
***
The composer (I can't think of his name) who wrote Hello Dolly and Mame - both Broadway hits - also composed the great tune We Need a Little Christmas for Mame. American composer, probably similar era. So he's a possibility.
***
Back to Music Man - it won the Tony for Best Musical against West Side Story.
I wonder . . . did Bernstein ever write a Christmas song? Hmmmm . . . His Mass is wildly eclectic, but I don't recall playing anything specifically Christmas-like in it.
***
The tune in question sounds like it has a bit of a Slavic quality, just for the opening bars. Irving Berlin springs to mind. But only because he was born in Russia. I think of him as a fabulous American Songbook writer, however, and I can't think of any specific ties to his style of composing.
***
The tune also sounds just a bit like a march. Willson wrote 76 Trombones. And he did play in John Sousa's band in his younger years, although this is not like any Sousa marches I know. I can almost picture this as a film soundtrack. It could be a march or processional taken to the dark side. Or the Far Side: "Bad Guy . . . Minor Key" (to quote a favorite Gary Larson cartoon).
I'm not sure what else Meredith Willson wrote, but if he composed serious pieces, I'd wager they wouldn't sound like The Music Man.
He's my best guess. It just somehow feels right even though I can't prove it.
Weighing in with a separate comment about the Caroline Shaw album to say that I got bored with it way sooner than Joey did. I generally like her music (I think the "Partita for Voices" is EXCEPTIONAL) but there's just a sameness and a... musical bleakening? to her stuff lately that isn't really clicking with me.
Not a great time to be releasing new music rn with Björk's new album dropping tomorrow!!
I don't know enough about broadway musicals or christmas songs to have a clue so I'm staying out of this one.
But I have other things to weigh in on....
Regarding the prompt to discuss whether recognizing the tune in question counts as winning Name That Tune, I would like to point out that if we are saying it is NOT winning, then we have to strip our hosts of several of their wins on the podcast.
As for heating concert halls...why do orchestras not simply burn their violas? (S/O to episode 97)
This comment is winning
Thanks for a good laugh!
With the hint given, I am extraordinarily tempted to just privately name the composer I believe it to be and forgo any analysis, especially since my analysis skills are threadbare. But how shall I improve without practice? The opening melody sounds very… vocal, in the sense that it could be easily sung, so I am tempted to say this is from a work that involves voices somehow. The “Broadway musical” part of the hint leads me to believe it’s for (American) stage, as do the rhythmic feel and the brass- and string-heavy orchestration. The contrapuntal section that follows does throw me a little, but I’m not too familiar with Golden Age and pre-Golden Age musicals; maybe they had more contrapuntal material for interstitials than modern musicals? My basket: Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern.
TOUGH ntt this week. I hear bits of Vaughan Williams-esque English country dance music, but also maybe hints of African-American spiritual harmony? From the music (and the clue) one must glean that this is 1920s-40s orchestral music.
But a composer who wrote *a* hit Broadway musical and a famous Christmas song? Irving Berlin? But he was just a tunesmith... From the music, I suppose I'd guess Victor Herbert. I guess I'll round out my basket with Harold Arlen, but that's sheerly from the clue; the music sounds nothing like his bluesyness.
Victor Herbert - Babes in Toyland. Hadn't thought of him - I can certainly picture him writing this mystery tune.
The opening of this week's Name That Tune struck me as being almost Tschaikovskian, so with the hint, I'm thinking American by way of European training, etc. With the additional hint of the Christmas tune, the first composer that popped into my mind was Victor Herbert (Babes in Toyland was the closest I got to the holidays). Another name that I associate with that milieu but whose work I am fairly unfamiliar with would be Max Steiner, so I'll toss him in the mix as well.
My first strong inclination is Meredith Willson.
He's best known for The Music Man, although I recall he wrote another musical or two (can't remember the names). And, he wrote It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.
So - American composer. Music Man was maybe late 1950's? Because the movie was probably early 60's with Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, and "Ronny" Howard.
And I still use Prof. Harold Hill's "Think System" to this very day ;) . (Although Will might suggest that practicing would be a better idea since we have a concert soon.)
***
Leroy Anderson is known for, among many other things, the Christmas classic Sleigh Ride. Also an American composer of a similar era. I know him for his connection with the Boston Pops. But I remember being surprised to learn years ago he had written a musical (don't know if it was on Broadway). No idea what it was, so I'd say it's probably not something for which he was known.
***
The composer (I can't think of his name) who wrote Hello Dolly and Mame - both Broadway hits - also composed the great tune We Need a Little Christmas for Mame. American composer, probably similar era. So he's a possibility.
***
Back to Music Man - it won the Tony for Best Musical against West Side Story.
I wonder . . . did Bernstein ever write a Christmas song? Hmmmm . . . His Mass is wildly eclectic, but I don't recall playing anything specifically Christmas-like in it.
***
The tune in question sounds like it has a bit of a Slavic quality, just for the opening bars. Irving Berlin springs to mind. But only because he was born in Russia. I think of him as a fabulous American Songbook writer, however, and I can't think of any specific ties to his style of composing.
***
The tune also sounds just a bit like a march. Willson wrote 76 Trombones. And he did play in John Sousa's band in his younger years, although this is not like any Sousa marches I know. I can almost picture this as a film soundtrack. It could be a march or processional taken to the dark side. Or the Far Side: "Bad Guy . . . Minor Key" (to quote a favorite Gary Larson cartoon).
I'm not sure what else Meredith Willson wrote, but if he composed serious pieces, I'd wager they wouldn't sound like The Music Man.
He's my best guess. It just somehow feels right even though I can't prove it.
Weighing in with a separate comment about the Caroline Shaw album to say that I got bored with it way sooner than Joey did. I generally like her music (I think the "Partita for Voices" is EXCEPTIONAL) but there's just a sameness and a... musical bleakening? to her stuff lately that isn't really clicking with me.
Not a great time to be releasing new music rn with Björk's new album dropping tomorrow!!